This time last year, Classic Recreations was mired in Chapter 11 and the restomod faithful were bracing for the worst. Then Florida’s Velocity Restorations swooped in, bought the troubled builder, renewed its Shelby license, and moved production to Pensacola. Twelve months later, the comeback tour has officially kicked off at SEMA 2026, where the reborn brand just unveiled a gloss-weave stunner called the GT500CR Carbon.
No Paint Necessary
Classic Recreations knows its way around a carbon fiber Mustang. The outfit teamed up with SpeedKore back in 2020 to build the world’s first carbon-bodied classic Shelby using original GT500 molds (and that sanctioning still stands), which makes the GT500CR Carbon the only Shelby-licensed carbon fiber ‘67-‘68 GT500 on Earth.
Every last body panel is crafted from aerospace-grade carbon, shaving roughly 600 pounds off the steel original by the brand’s count. And rather than bury all that weave under paint, the SEMA car wears it fully exposed, right down to its red-tinted carbon racing stripes.
A Grand’s Worth of Horsepower
Underneath that scooped carbon fiber hood sits a Wegner-built Gen IV Coyote 5.0L V8. It’s powered by a 3.0-liter Whipple supercharger and a standalone FuelTech FT700 ECU, pumping out an impressive 1,000 horsepower.
All that power routes through a Suncoast-built 10-speed automatic, a carbon fiber driveshaft, and a Ford 9-inch rear end. Reining it in are Brembo CCM-R carbon ceramic brakes, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2s on Forgeline Carbon Grudge wheels, and a full Detroit Speed suspension riding on electronically adjustable Nitron shocks.
Pick Your Stage
Production versions dial things back, though not by much. The catalog opens with the naturally aspirated 500HP Stage 1, climbs to the Whipple-blown 700HP Stage 2, and tops out with the 900HP Stage 3, each available with a Tremec T56 Magnum 6-speed manual for the three-pedal purists among us.
Every build takes more than 2,500 hours of labor to complete, receives its own Shelby serial number, and gets recorded in the Shelby American Worldwide Registry.
Spec Sheet
Model: Classic Recreations GT500CR Carbon (1967-68 Shelby GT500)
Body: Full Aerospace-Grade Carbon Fiber
Engine: Ford Performance Gen IV Coyote 5.0L V8 (Whipple 3.0L Supercharged on Stage 2+)
Power: 500HP / 700HP / 900HP (Stage 1 / 2 / 3)
Torque: ~500 / ~640 / ~800 LB-FT
Transmission: Tremec T56 Magnum 6-Speed Manual or 10R80 10-Speed Automatic
Suspension: Detroit Speed Aluma-Frame (Front), Quadralink (Rear)
Brakes: Wilwood 14″ 6-Piston (Stage 1-2), Brembo 14″ Carbon Ceramic (Stage 3)
SEMA Show Car: 1,000HP, FuelTech FT700 ECU
Starting Price: $549,900
Pricing & Availability
The GT500CR Carbon starts at $549,900 for Stage 1, with Stage 2 and Stage 3 commanding $624,900 and $724,900, respectively. That’s nearly double what the original carbon GT500CR fetched back in 2021, but with 2026 production slots nearly spoken for and 2027 allocations now open, the market clearly doesn’t mind. Head over to Classic Recreations’ website to reserve a build.
Recap
1967-68 Shelby GT500CR Carbon by Classic Recreations
Fresh off a Velocity Restorations rescue, Classic Recreations relaunches the world’s only Shelby-licensed carbon fiber GT500 with up to 900HP from the catalog.
